Key Trends in Social and Digital News: Part Two

June 26, 2018

And we’re back. We’ll dive right back into remaining trends from the Pew Research center study, this time focusing on the social media trends. If you haven’t read part one, go back and give it a read before reviewing the below.

Two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) get at least some news on social mediaJournalism has changed, and the introduction and subsequent surge of social media use has resulted in more change, faster. To keep up, news outlets had to adjust. From live streaming on social media to citizen journalism, news outlets have evolved to fit the mold. But another big change is that the news does not only come from news outlets anymore. Social media gives anyone with internet access the ability to share information. This has had good and bad results.

Nonwhites and the less educated increasingly say they get news on social mediaMost people have some form of social media regardless of race or socioeconomic status. This casts a wider net for accessibility of news content. Watching the news on TV may not be feasible for people that fall into this demographic, but if they can log onto social media they can access the news.

Americans have low trust in information from social mediaThe fast nature of social media can also be its downfall when it comes to sharing information. When fact-checking suffers because speed is the priority, the likelihood for error increases, which can reduce trust.

Social media and direct visits to news organizations’ websites are the most common pathways to online news No surprise here. It’s so common to see news on a social media post with a link to “learn more” that directs the user to the news organization’s site. A social media post can also prompt a direct visit to a news site to find that content.

Many Americans believe fabricated news causes confusion, and about a third (32%) say they often see made-up political news online.Lost trust is hard to get back. Incorrectly or unethically reported news sticks with people. We rely on outlets to give us information that is factual. The prevalence of the concept of fake news left many with less than favorable views of many news outlets. But traditional news sites are still faring better than social media when it comes to news according to a survey CooperKatz conducted in response to the Pew Research study. The survey found that 65 percent of the 250 respondents still rely on traditional news sites for their information.

That’s a wrap for these trends. You can read part one here to take a look at the trends collectively and keep them in mind when developing digital and social media strategies.

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